Deconstructing Distribution
Fisher cautions that publishers undertaking their own selling operations need to ask themselves:
1. Do I have enough presence with the chain stores to be a direct account?
2. Am I willing to spend time and money on an electronic ordering system?
3. Can I set up and maintain the accounting and reporting systems required?
Eugene G. Schwartz is editor at large for ForeWord Reviews, an industry observer and an occasional columnist for Book Business magazine. In an earlier career, he was in the printing business and held production management positions at Random House, Prentice-Hall/Goodyear and CRM Books/Psychology Today. A former PMA (IBPA) board member, he has headed his own publishing consultancy, Consortium House. He is also Co-Founder of Worthy Shorts Inc., a development stage online private press and publication service for professionals as well as an online back office publication service for publishers and associations. He is on the Publishing Business Conference and Expo Advisory Board.